On Mon, Jul 01, 2002 at 11:11:45AM -0600, Richard Holden wrote:
> I do a lot of data entry and my solution to keyboard ergonomics and
> speed if I can figure out how to do it is to build a new keyboard. I
> want one that is completely split, except for the cord. I want to use
> the 10-key pad with my right hand and figure out how to rework the rest
> of the keys to type with one hand. If anyone has intimite knowledge of
> the keyboard and could help me I would appreciate it, otherwise this one
> gets put on the back burner. I'm working on another hardware project
> currently.
I've taken apart a few keyboards, so I'll share what I know about how
the innards work. This may not apply to all of them, but it seems
common for recently made ones, at least.
Generally there's a rubber membrane right below the keys, which each
have a little plunger on the bottom. This plunger pushes little raised
pips on the membrane down against some solid surface. Sometimes the
conductors are built into the membrane, sometimes they're built into a
PCB beneath. When the key pushes the membrane onto the surface, it
closes some circuit with the conductors.
If you want to keep the same general layout of the keys, this should be
fairly easy. Just get an ergonmic keyboard so you'll already have a
split in the membrane/PCB and chop the housing up. You may need to
figure out a way to connect bits of the membrane or PCB if you need to
make more splits in them.
If you're completely changing the layout, you've got a large engineering
project ahead of you, and all I can offer is a good luck wish. :)
--Levi
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